Today, at the start of Orange the World, the Province of Drenthe announces that it is allocating €750,000 for a three-year pilot of a new support center against intimate terror and femicide in North Drenthe. Femicide, the killing of women by (ex-)partners or family members, is almost always preceded by psychological violence or intimate terror. The support center aims to help recognize these signals earlier and intervene before it is too late.
Discussions with the Drenthe municipalities, police, Safe at Home Drenthe, experts by experience, and social organizations show that a joint, structural approach is necessary. The four northern Drenthe municipalities (Assen, Aa en Hunze, Noordenveld, and Tynaarlo) started developing a joint approach at the beginning of 2025. Assen plays the leading and coordinating role.
New Drenthe Support Center
The support center forms an important part of the joint approach. With the support center, the municipalities, together with other partners, want to identify victims, bystanders, and perpetrators earlier. It offers, among other things:
- Accessible information and support for victims
- Awareness of signals (‘red flags’) among residents and professionals
- Training and education for professionals
- Stronger cooperation between aid services, care, safety, and justice
Three-Year Pilot
The Provincial States adopted an amendment in November 2025, allocating €750,000 for the three-year pilot of the support center (2026–2028). After the pilot period, an evaluation will follow, after which the goal is to roll out this approach throughout Drenthe.
Deputy Yvonne Turenhout: “Violence against women is not a private problem. It affects families, children, and the entire society. With this investment and our participation in Orange the World, we focus on prevention, awareness, and breaking patterns that can lead to femicide.”
Orange the World: Drenthe Colors Orange
Orange the World is the global campaign that annually calls attention to violence against women and girls between November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and December 10. Around the world, buildings light up orange to show that violence is never normal. In Drenthe, buildings are also lit orange during this period, flags are raised, and activities take place to raise awareness and give victims a voice: Actions in 2025 - Orange the World (links to another website)
